Misuse of Administrative Resources in Shida Kartli

Salome Chkhikvadze

Representatives of the nongovernmental organizations observed several facts of the misuse of administrative resources in Gori. Representatives of the Gori office of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association spoke about the violation when presenting next interim report on the election monitoring. 

“Public servants and teachers participated in the demonstrations supporting presidential candidate of the ruling coalition Georgian Dream Giorgi Margvelashvili in Kaspi and Kareli districts. You know that public servants are prohibited to participate in the agitation during working hours, that is violation of the election law. Although teachers could participate in the pre-election meeting (because the restrictions of the Article 45 Part IV of the Election Code do not apply to them), their participation in the political process shall be negatively evaluated. Attorneys of territorial entities mobilized and transported meeting participants in Kaspi district,” Ketevan Bebiashvili, GYLA’s representative in Gori, said.

The organization tried to find out whether funds for the transportation of the people were allocated from the local budget. Representatives of the local administration clarified to the GYLA that funds were not allocated from the local budget.

“Second fact was observed during Giorgi Margvelashvili’s meeting with the electorate in Variani village in Gori district; employees of the district administration actively participated in the pre-election meetings during working hours (head of the service unit for natural and agricultural resources Giorgi Khidasheli and attorney of Variani territorial entity Vakhtang Berkatsashvili). In addition to that, personnel changes took place in Kaspi and Kareli local self-governmental agencies – interim district governor was replaced that contradicts the election code,” Ketevan Bebiashvili said.